Tonka

 

The sad and untimely passing of Rev, a third of the legendary Tonka Soundsystem along with Choci and Harvey, was just another kick in the bollocks that 2020 has so far specialised in. I didn't know him personally, but definitely danced to his sets because I was a student in Brighton when he graced The Zap. Memories are very hazy, which is as they should be. I definitely took advantage of the pervasive substances . . . and thinking back to those days makes me realise that, like every frozen moment in time, they'll never come back, and will have to be appreciated for what they were and will continue to be in the minds of those who were there. Just like their protagonists.

I don't like to look back and say that "it was much better back in the day". Time marches on and things change and evolve. However, the videos posted here  encapsulate an innocence which, along with the previously posted 'A Short Film About Chilling', will never be captured in quite the same way again, no matter what. And when I see my kids, and I compare myself with them at their various ages and stages, I feel happy to have lived through such an era in my own way. I mean going to the gym does have some positives, but it’s not very mind expanding.

So I’ll be writing a post very soon on the originality of the British DJ. Nothing jingoistic or boasty, just a piece on why I think they deserve their own niche. For now though, here’s a glimpse into an age which I refuse to think is bygone.

I only came across these videos for the first time a couple of days ago via Twitter. There are more on the excellent "The Nearest Faraway Place", which I've linked to above.